Environmentalist Wants Sightseeing To Set Sail

'Captain Bob' Markets Plan For Excursion Boats

April 18, 2003|By APRIL TAYLOR Daily Press

WILLIAMSBURG — Robert Jensen of Whitestone has a grand ambition for the 400th anniversary of Jamestown in 2007.

The 75-year-old retired Navy engineer is a staunch environmentalist. The license plate on his Chevy Silverado reads "Reefman," a testimony to his efforts in recent years to preserve the oyster population of the Rappahannock River.

Jensen, who likes to be called "Captain Bob," has started to market a $20 million plan to build a network of up to 20 excursion boats along Virginia's waterways, the first sailing from Smithfield Station by Earth Day 2004.

Tourists will "sightsee by water," Jensen insists.

"What we have here is 5,100 miles of tidal shoreline in the commonwealth of Virginia that is totally and absolutely under-emphasized," Jensen said.

The basic concept is to "provide an affordable way tourists and visitors can experience the history and lore that is the tidal waters of Virginia, including five major rivers: the Potomac, Rappahannock, York, James and Elizabeth rivers," Jensen's brochure for his plan reads.

"People who want to relax and get away from the madness that is our highway system are going to want to try it on the water, " Jensen said. "This will sell itself. Believe me."

Jensen said he can build the first boat with $500,000, cutting costs by using business associates and local contractors. He wants to use his own money and said he's waiting to hear from a local bank on the loan. The $20 million for the plan includes costs for renovations and facilities that need to be built, he said.

Jensen envisions day trips from various points, such as from Smithfield to the Rappahannock River.

And he hopes Smithfield Station will be the home port of his first ship, an 85-footer he's calling "the Smithfield Pagan Princess."

Not everyone is as convinced about the plan as Jensen.

"Personally, I don't think it's a money-making proposition," said Smithfield Station owner Ron Pack. "Boats are expensive to construct and maintain, plus you have to meet Coast Guard criteria."

Diane Howard, director of tourism for Smithfield and Isle of Wight County, said she got a packet from Jensen on Thursday.

"It would be an exciting interest to pursue," Howard said, "as long as we're not expected to put up the money."

Jensen isn't deterred though. He calls the project his "legacy," even though others discount his efforts.

"Call it what you want," Jensen said. "After I get the money, it's going to be a piece of cake."

In 1994, the Rappahannock Preservation Society, which Jensen founded, was praised by state officials for establishing oyster sanctuaries. They received permission from the Virginia Marine Resources Commission to build a reef at two sites by using concrete slabs from the Robert O. Norris Jr. Memorial Bridge in Middlesex and Lancaster counties.

In the early 1990s, Jensen ran an environmental learning program called the "School of the Bay." Free of charge, said Jensen, students boarded his boat and took to the seas to learn about the environment. More than 12,000 children participated in the program's four-year run, he added.

With his new venture, Jensen said he wants to lure people back to the rivers once again.

April Taylor can be reached at 223-5685 or by e-mail at ataylor@dailypress.com